Introduced by HITN, a leading Spanish-language media company offering educational and cultural programming for the whole family, ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest has become a springboard for emerging Latino storytellers, creatives, and filmmakers since its inception in 2021.

Noted for opening doors and providing the opportunity for new talent to showcase their work to a broader audience and gain visibility and recognition, the festival comes at a time when Latino voices continue to be underrepresented in the film industry and the entertainment  industry overall.

Luis Alejandro Molina, ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest director, stated:

We are steadfast in our commitment to nurture and promote emerging Latino/a talent in the film industry.

According to the latest Hollywood Diversity Report 2023, shared by HITN, with the exception of total streaming movie actors, people of color remained underrepresented in a variety of employment sectors, both in front of and behind the camera in 2022. 

Here are some of the notable results:

• Movie leads who were white made up 78.4% of roles, while Latinos made up just 2.3%
• On streaming platforms, 66.7% of movies featured white leads, while only 6.1% featured Latinos.

Free Window

¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest is already accepting proposals for its third festival.

Registrations, which will be accepted through CineYouthFest.org until August 2, 2023, will have an opportunity to access for free until Wednesday, May 31.

The festival will take place from October 9 to 16, 2023, coinciding with the closing of Hispanic Heritage Month.

About the Fest

Prior to its start, the ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest will host a series of virtual film talks and live streams of ‘Cafecito’ on social media with industry experts and professionals sharing their stories and insights to help emerging filmmakers looking to grow in the industry.

Filmmakers are asked to submit their work in one of these categories:

• Music video
• Animation
• Science fiction
• Politics Today (Politics or Climate Change)

Admission Fees

• Early entrance or Early Bird: Free from May 1 to May 31
• Standard ticket: $20 from June 1 to July 1
• Late entry: $25 from July 2 to August 2

Special admission rates apply for students:

• Standard admission: $10 from June 1 to July 1
• Late entry: $15 from July 2 to August 2

¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest anuncia su convocatoria 2023 https://t.co/6mIz0VGflh pic.twitter.com/ffsJb6UOnA

— BusinessWire-Spanish (@BW_Espanol) May 1, 2023

Eligibility Criteria

• Winners will be selected solely by the judges.
• Films must be 30 minutes or less in length and relate to one of the categories mentioned above.
• Only films finished after January 1, 2020 are eligible for this festival.
• Entries must feature a Latino/a in a creative leadership position in front of or behind the camera.
• Papers in English or Spanish are welcome.

Visit CineYouthFest.org for a complete list of rules and eligibility criteria.

Awards

The selection of the best films of ¡Tú Cuentas! Cine Youth Fest will be announced on September 11 and will be screened on CineYouthFest.org and the HITN GO app from September 9 to October 16.

An independent jury will evaluate proposals based on a variety of factors, including:

• Knowledge of the subject
• Creativity in approaching the theme
• Technical aspects such as directing, acting, cinematography and editing
• The inspiring and narrative impact of the piece.
• Judges will select three winners from a pool of finalists. Prizes are $4,000 for the Grand Prize;$2,000 for the Second Prize; and $1,000 for the Third Prize.

“The younger generation of up-and-coming filmmakers and storytellers have the power to impact the narrative at an unprecedented level. Their work carries the mission of amplifying our community’s stories and providing visibility for the underrepresented. We have worked hard to build a platform for Latinos/as filmmakers to communicate their vision and unique perspectives,” added Molina.